An extraordinary aquatic and aerial fauna
Bird lovers will make wonderful discoveries in Montenegro. They can be found mainly in the Durmitor National Park (163 different species), in the Biogradska Gora National Park (profusion of forest birds such as eagles, owls, thrushes, larks, nightingales and titmice), in the Šasko Lake (heron colony) near Ulcinj and finally in the Skadar National Park. The latter is a real paradise for birdwatchers, with about 270 different species. It is estimated that about 200,000 birds stop at the Skadar lake every year. The majority of these birds are highly migratory. Among the few remarkable species present on the site, we can mention first of all the curled pelican, the pygmy cormorant, the moustached sea swallow, the buzzards, the grey heron, the great white heron and the great crested grebe.
The Adriatic Sea is rich in first category fish: white (sea bream, dentex, st. Pierre, sole, sea bass, red pike, sar, sprat, etc.) or blue (tuna, sardine, anchovy, swordfish, pelagic), as well as a multitude of shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels, scallops), crustaceans and mollusks. With its many lakes and rivers, Montenegro also has a wide variety of freshwater fish. The rivers are full of trout. Lake Skadar has about fifty species of fish. Connected to the sea by a river, it is also home to some species of saltwater fish.
A paradise for hunters and environmentalists
Like all the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Montenegro is home to wolves and brown bears. It is difficult to know their exact number, the latter moving from one country to another; nevertheless, we can estimate that the bears are a little less than a hundred and the wolves between 200 and 300. The bears all live in the forested mountains in the north of the country, at an altitude of between 900 and 2,600 meters. They can be found around Plužine, Pljevlja, Berane, Rožaje, as well as in the Bjelasica, Sinjajevina, Komovi and Prokletije mountains. Montenegrin law protects both males and females in summer, but only females with pups under two years old during the rest of the year. As for wolves, they live mainly in the northern mountains of the country. Unlike bears, they are not protected and can therefore be hunted with impunity.
On the other hand, shepherds living in areas known to harbor wolves and bears all have Yugoslavian shepherd dogs (called charplaninatz) to protect their flocks. These beautiful dogs, present in Montenegro but also in neighboring countries since time immemorial, are known for their courage. Other animal species present in the country include lynxes and jackals, both of which are in limited numbers. The former live mainly around Plužin, the latter in the Mediterranean area. Chamois, wild boar, partridges and black grouse also live in the Durmitor region. In the national parks and with the help of a guide, you can go and admire this wealth of fauna in majestic landscapes.
Mediterranean scrub and Dinaric forest
In the "pearl of the Adriatic" we can find two main groups of vegetation, one Mediterranean and the other mountainous.
The Mediterranean plant life is limited to a thin coastal strip, with the mountain rising immediately above the coast. From Herceg Novi to Ulcinj, the coast is dotted with olive trees, pine trees and junipers. Large areas of scrubland, born of deforestation, also border the coast. Many exotic species are also present such as prickly pears, agaves or silk trees (or albizia). Of Persian origin, the albizia is a very pretty tree in the shape of a parasol pine, with light foliage and abundant flowering throughout the summer. Its pinkish flowers form small silky plumes. The karst region of Cetinje and Mount Lovčen, located not far from the coast, is characterized by arid soil and sparse vegetation, but you only have to travel a few kilometers to find yourself in the middle of exuberant vegetation, in the Skadar National Park. The waters of the lake are home to some 900 species of algae as well as an important marine flora, with water lilies covering part of the lake.
In the hinterland, the high peaks are covered with dense alpine forests. They are adorned all year round with oaks, hornbeams, willows, plane trees, poplars, oleanders, elms as well as some large beech forests. Between 600 and 2,000 meters above sea level, pine, fir and alpine meadows predominate. The two national parks of Durmitor and Biogradska Gora are particularly rich in floral species. Biologists have counted about 700 plant species in the Durmitor region. With 8 species and 15 rare subspecies (called Durmitorae varieties), the park is described by Unesco as one of the richest centers of endemism in Europe. In addition to these species, the park is home to a 40-hectare virgin forest of black pines. This forest is considered one of the most prolific sites in Europe. The Biogradska Gora National Park is home to some 2,000 plant species, a quarter of which are endemic to the Balkan Peninsula. Its virgin forest, which covers 1,600 hectares, is strictly protected.
The Black Mountain, between myth and reality
"Crna Gora", which literally translates as "black mountain", is the name given to Montenegro by its inhabitants. This term is often attributed to the dark forests that once covered the Dinaric Alps; when sailors arrived in the Bay of Kotor and looked up to see all these forested massifs, legend has it that they called them the "Black Mountain". Indeed, until the eighteenth century, almost all of this small Balkan territory was covered with dense forests of beech and pine. For a long time the Montenegrin tribes used both the rugged terrain and forests on the high mountains, as well as the scrub along the coast to resist the Ottomans. This explains why this country surrounded by mountainous massifs was rarely occupied and why even the Ottomans had great difficulty in controlling this mountainous state. From then on, these different aggressors, who went to attack these high and formidable massifs, would have named these places with the popular Latin montenegro, in reference to the bad luck they represented.
